Naivety is no excuse when faced with a situation where someone you have a good relationship with tries to shift the blame on to you I have learned.

Choosing to be unaware that the people around you be it family, friends, or co-workers can often ‘throw you under the bus’ to protect themselves is in the end your mistake.

Unfortunately must lessons are learned after being burned once or twice. But in my case twenty times. My failing is I have a lot of faith in people. I didn’t spend my day wondering about the motivations of others because I never felt a need.

However, this changed once I received some pointed warnings about the people I interact with. That’s when I finally took stock of the situation I was in. All the stories I heard of people shifting the blame from themselves to others now make sense.

The example I will focus on is when people have nothing to lose (i.e. job security) and their is a guarantee they will be interacting with the same people for years. In this case I have found that these people shift the blame for any mistakes because they don’t want the legacy of the mistake to stay on them.

Better to maintain a certain image because people tend to make up their minds quickly and change it slowly.

While shifting the blame can happen in different circumstances the best course of action is to ignore it. It is better for the truth to shine through without interference.

MPW Insider is an online community where the biggest names in business and beyond answer timely career and leadership questions. Today’s answer for: What is one piece of advice all millennials should take before entering the workforce? is written by Pam Wickham, vice president of corporate affairs and communications at Raytheon Company.

Build your own brand. Your degree tells me that you passed, and your references tell me someone is willing to vouch for you. But your brand tells me what I really want to know. It tells me who you are and what you stand for, and that gives me a pretty good idea of who you’re going to be.

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